The Tripoli International Fair will host from 9 to 12 Ma y, the second edition of the “International Tourism Exhibition of Tripoli” with t he participation of 45 local and foreign companies working in the industry and t o urist investment sectors.
Four countries, Libya, Tunisia, Egypt and Turkey, will participate in the econom ic event sponsored by the Libyan General Office of Tourism and Craft industries o rganised by the Libyan company “Taknes” of fairs and services.
In a statement made availaible to PANA here on Wednesday, the director of Taknes company, Engineer Ali Chebli revealed that the objective of the exhibition is t o make the country’s regions with high tourist attraction known through the promo t ion of tourist potentials and the best spots which Libya has in abundance.
It will also highlight Libya’s assets in terms of tourist industry, present the investment opportunities in the country and the projects being implemented in th e sector and raise Libyan citizens’ awareness on the importance of the tourist se c tor and its economic profits.
The director of the organising company also indicated that the exhibition is mea nt to give decision-makers and entrepreneurs the opportunity to meet and confer w ith one another, build partnerships and create joint investment projects in addi t ion to promoting the craft industry in the country.
Libya, which has huge tourist potentialities, is working to highlight them with a view to exploiting them under the new policy adopted by Libyan authorities aim i ng at diversifying the country’s income, finding an alternative to oil, consider e d as a resource which can dry up.
Since the decision in 2006, of the change of the Libyan General People’s Committ ee of Tourism into an Office of Tourism and Craft Industry, which according to o b servers, was aimed at encompassing the activities of the body and giving it more
effectiveness, the tourism sector has experienced, in a short period of time, sl o w development which has enabled it to record excellent indicators.
It is within this framework that the 2008/2012 tourist strategy, which aims at r eaching 1.5 million tourists, lies.
Thus, statistics of the Libyan Tourism Office show that for only the month of Ma rch 2008, 5,700 tourists have visited Libya, recording a marked increase compare d with the preceding years.
As far as accommodation in hotels are concerned, some 62,522 tourists, including internal tourism for Libyans, the inter-Arab tourism and that of foreigners, ha v e stayed in different Libyan hotels during the same period.
With regard to the export market of tourists to Libya, they rank as follows:
The first position is occupied by France with 2,596 tourists followed by Italy w ith 2,445; Germany 1,355; Great Britain 932; Austria 655; Spain 645; Australia 2 9 7 and Japan with 246 tourists.
